Assessment
Questionnaire

Pureed Diet

Introduction: Pureed Diet

The pureed diet is a medical diet developed for people who have difficulty chewing or swallowing food, such as people who have had a stroke or who are weak due to an illness. A pureed diet may also be prescribed as a part of a complete treatment plan after some types of surgery, such as surgery of the esophagus. A pureed diet can also be used as a stepping stone between a clear liquid diet and a mechanical soft diet or regular solid diet, such as after abdominal or oral surgery. Pureed diet guidelines vary depending on an individual's specific condition or procedure and what types of foods they can tolerate. Pureed diets generally eliminate all solid foods that have not been pureed into the consistency of a thick paste. Foods in a pureed diet often must be softened with liquid, cooked, and pureed in a blender or food processer before eating. Skins, seeds, pits, bones, tough membranes and other inedible parts of foods are eliminated before pureeing. Pureed foods should be thinned with milk, juice or other liquids to a drinkable consistency that is easy to swallow without any chewing. Liquids, such as milk, may need to be thickened with thickeners, such as potato flakes and baby cereal, if it is difficult to swallow liquids without choking.

It can be a challenge, but very possible, to eat a well-balanced nutritiously complete diet that contains enough calories when eating a pureed diet. A wide variety of foods from all of the food groups can be pureed to make a complete diet, but the guidance of a registered dietician is often recommended when planning a pureed diet at home. Any diet may have the potential to be harmful to some people, so consultation with a health care provider before starting any diet plan is recommended.

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